Automobile key case



Sept. 2, 1969 J. T. HINKLE ETAL 3,464,244

AUTOMOBILE KEY CASE Filed Nov. 17. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 1:5? John TI Hink/e Char/e5 f. l /Ih/f/e ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,464,244 AUTOMOBILE KEY CASE John T. Hinkle and Charles E. Hinkle, both of R0. Box 2002, Roswell, N. Mex. 88201 Filed Nov. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 684,007 Int. Cl. A45c 11/32 US. Cl. 70-456 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A case made of plastic material and including a pair of similar half-sections connected by a flexible web to facilitate opening and closing of the case. Each half-section has a key-receiving pocket with an entrance which may be spread apart for placing a key on a retaining pin member.The pin member is slidable for projecting and retracting the key through the entrance of the pocket. One of the half-sections has an inner side wall in which are mounted rotatable discs carrying indicia which are visible when the case is open, such indicia being used to record mileages pertinent to oil changes, rotation of tire, etc.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in key cases and in particular the invention concerns itself with cases for automobile keys. The principal object of the invention is to provide a key case which, in addition to its primary function as a key holder, also embodies means for recording mileages pertinent to changing of oil, rotation of tires, or the like, so that such recorded information is conveniently available in the key case.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a key case which lends itself to economical and expeditious manufacture from plastic material and which, by virtue of such material, affords a novel arrangement whereby keys may be easily installed in the case for projecting and retracting movement, and whereby they are safeguarded against falling out of the case after installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key case of a novel construction which includes a pair of complemental case half-sections movably connected together for opening and closing of the case, each halfsection having a key-receiving pocket accommodating a projectable and retractable key in a manner which renders the key accessible without opening of the case. However, the aforementioned mileage recording means are provided on the inner side wall of one of the half-sections and are visible only when the case is open, thus protecting the recording means against dust, moisture, and the like.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a group perspective view showing the components of the key case in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view of the components assembled, a juxtaposed position of one of the case half-sections to the other being shown by dotted lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary group perspective view of the inner side wall of one of the half-sections and also showing one of the recorder discs;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the discs, showing the indicia on the outer face thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of one of the assembled half-sections in its normal form;

FIG. 6 is a view, similar to that in FIG. 5, but showing the half-section flexed for insertion of a key; and

3,464,244 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 "ice FIG. 7 is an end view, partly in section, of the closed case.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the automobile key case in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and, as a whole, preferably is made of plastic material which is substantially rigid but has a certain amount of resilient flexibility for manipulation of the case as hereinafter described.

The case 10 comprises a pair of similar, complemental half-sections 12a and 12b which are elongated box-shaped and are movably connected together along one longitudinal edge portion thereof by a thin, flexible web 13, moulded integrally with the half-sections. In the open position of the case, the half-section may be coplanar as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which event the web 13 is Substantially flat. However, when the case is closed, the halfsections become juxtaposed as shown in FIG. 2 and the web 13 becomes curved as indicated at 13', the closed position of the case also being shown in FIG. 7. In order to releasably hold the case closed, the other longitudinal side edges of the half-sections 12a, 12b are formed with elongated tabs 14a, 1412, the tab 14a having an aperture or slot 15 which frictionally receives an elongated, projecting detent 16 formed integrally on the tab 14b, as will be clearly apparent.

Each of the half-sections 12a, 12b affords an elongated key-retaining pocket, and inasmuch as the key accommodating arrangement of the two half-sections is the same, a description of one will sufiice for both. Thus, for example, the half-section 12a has an outer side wall 17 and an inner side wall 18, the inner sidewall being removable and frictionally seated against a perimetric shoulder 19 provided at the inside of a perimetric rim or edge 20 which is formed integrally with the outer side wall 17. The rim or edge 20 at one end portion of the half-section is split or slotted in a plane parallel to the walls 17, 18, so as to provide an entrance 20 for the key-receiving pocket, the side edges of the slot or split normally being parallel, as will be apparent from FIG. 5.

The outer side wall 17 is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 21 which slidably receives a key retaining pin member 22. The latter comprises a pin 23 which projects into the key pocket and has an internal shoulder 24 and an external finger-piece 25, the pin 22 being adapted to pass through the usual aperture in the head of a key, indicated as K. When the key is to be installed in the pocket, the walls of the half-section at the pocket entrance 20 are flexed away from each other so that the entrance is spread apart as shown in FIG. 6, this permitting the pin 22 to be passed through the aperture 26 of a key inserted into the pocket entrance, as illustrated. Upon releasing the spread apart walls, they are automatically returned by their inherent resiliency to their normal shape and relation as in FIG. 5, and the key is securely held on the pin 22. In this connection it will be noted that the inner face of the inner side wall 18 is provided with a longitudinal groove 27 which slidably receives the inner end of the pin 22, thus affording additional protection against disengagement of the key from the pin.

Once the key has been installed on the pin member 22, the pin member may he slid inwardly in the slot 21 by manipulation of the finger-piece 25, whereby the key is retracted into the pocket. Alternatively, the pin member may be slid outwardly in the slot to project the key to its operative position. When the key is projected, it may extend either longitudinally outwardly from the pocket entrance, or it may be turned as indicated by the arrows 28 in. FIG. 1, this being particularly usefull when the key remains in a lock, as for example, the ignition lock, in which event the case may depend downwardly from the key.

In order to releasably retain the key in its retracted position in the pocket, the side wall 17 is provided at one longitudinal edge of the slot 21 with a projecting detent or keeper 29, this being located adjacent the inner end of the slot and being frictionally engaged by the pin 22 when the latter is slid inwardly past the detent to the inner end of the slot. The keeper thus retains the pin and the key in the retracted position, but when the pin member 22 is slid outwardly to project the key, the pin 23 is forced past the detent 29, as will be understood.

The inner side wall 18 of one of the half-sections 12a or 12b is equipped with mileage recording means a presently described. Inasmuch as the side wall 18 may be applied interchangeably to either half-section, either halfsection may be equipped with the recording means, or both half-sections may be so equipped, if so desired. If the recording means are provided in only one halfsection, the inner side wall of the other half-section may be plain as indicated at 18', although some advertising legend may be provided thereon as shown.

In any event, the side wall 18 which is equipped with the recording means has its inner face formed with a plurality of circular sockets 30, each having rotatably positioned therein a disc 31. The outer face of each disc is marked with numerals from to 9 as shown in FIG. 4, and one of these numerals on each disc is visible through sight openings 32 formed in the outer face of the wall 18. The discs are shown as being arranged in two rows of five discs each, so that each row may display mileage in five digits. One row of digits may be used for recording mileage when oil was last changed or when it is to be changed, while the other row of digits may record mileage pertinent to rotation of tires, as shown in the example of FIG. 1.

The discs 31 are frictionally but rotatably held in the sockets 30 and the back face of each disc is provided with a kerf 33 to facilitate disc rotation, as by a finger nail or a coin. When the recorded mileages are to be reset, the wall 18 is removed from the case half-section together with the discs, and after the latter are appropriately rotated, the wall is frictionally fitted back in place.

Inasmuch as the case contains two keys in the respective half-sections, it is desirable to know that the desired key is projected for use when in the dark. For this purpose, the finger-pieces 25 of the two pin members 22 preferably have different physical characteristics capable of distinction by finger touch. For example, one finger-piece may be knurled and the other plan, or one round and the other hexagonal, et cetera, the knurled and plain distinction being shown in the example of FIG. 7.

One of the half-sections of the case may be provided with an apertured ear 34 at the end thereof remote from the key entrance 20 as shown in FIG. 1. If desired, additional keys may be attached externally to the case by a conventional key chain (not shown) passing through the apertured ear.

An alternative method of installing a key K in one of the half sections, 12a for example, would be by removing the inner side wall 18, sliding the pin 22 away from the entrance slot 20 past the detent 29, and placing the key in the pocket with the aperture 26 of the key over the pin 22. After the key K is installed the inner wall 18 would be replaced.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A key case formed from relatively rigid plastic material having a limited amount of resilient flexibility, said case comprising a pair of elongated similar half-sections movably connected along one longitudinal edge portion thereof to each other whereby the half-sections may be moved from a substantially coplanar relation in an open position of the case to a closed position wherein the halfsections are juxtaposed, means provided at the other longitudinal edge of the half-sections for releasably holding the same in juxtaposed relation when the case is closed, ach half-section defining an elongated key-receiving pocket having inner and outer side walls and one end portion of the half-section being split in a plane parallel to said side walls to provide a key entrance for said pocket, the outer side wall of the half-section being provided with a longitudinally extending slot, and an externally manipulable key retaining pin member slidable in said slot and projecting into said pocket, the plastic material of the case permitting said split end portion of each half-section to be resiliently flexed whereby to spread said entrance and facilitate placing of a key on said pin member when the latter is slid toward the entrance, the inner side walls of said half-sections carrying indicia which are visible when the case is open, the inner side wall of one of said halfsections having an inner face oriented into said pocket and an opposite outer face, the inner face of said side wall being provided with a plurality of circular sockets, and a plurality of discs rotatably positioned in the respective sockets, said indicia being carried by said discs, and the outer face of the side wall being provided with sight openings through which said indicia are visible.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a flexible web integrally connecting said half-sections together and facilitating movement thereof between the open and closed positions of the case.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably holding said half-sections in juxtaposed relation comprise a pair of complemental tabs provided integrally on the respective half-sections, a laterally projecting detent integral with one of said tabs, the other tab being formed with an aperture frictionally receiving said detent.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer side wall of each half-section is provided integrally at one longitudinal edge of said slot with a yieldable keeper for releasably retaining said pin member in the end portion of the slot remote from said pocket entrance, said pin member being frictionally engageable by said keeper.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said pin member of each half-section includes an external fingerpiece, the finger-pieces of the two half-sections having different physical characteristics capable of distinguishing the finger-pieces from each other by touch.

6. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said discs are provided with kerfs to facilitate rotation thereof in said sockets.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein last mentioned inner side wall of the half-section is removable from said pocket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,821,585 9/1931 Smith 150-39 1,837,810 12/1931 Dodson -456 1,934,889 11/1933 Segal 70456 2,764,202 9/ 1956 Jackson -40 2,312,606 11/1957 Painter 40-130 2,931,210 4/1960 Agee 70-456 3,263,464 8/ 1966 Campbell 70-456 3,362,200 1/ 1968 Lanier 70-456 FOREIGN PATENTS 465,850 6/1950 Canada.

484,632 7/1952 Canada. 1,477,773 3/ 1967 France.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE. Assistant Examiner 

